Dispensing apparatus



May 2o, 1958 Filed July 25, 1955 A. l.. RANKIN, JR 2,835,409

DISPENSING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Arb/@r Ran/aww.

ATTORNEYS May 20, 1958 A. L. RANKIN, .JR

DISPENS/ING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1955 INVENTORlAl'-Llr L. R01-diffu, efr.

ATTORNEYS May 20, 1958 A. L. RANKIN, .VIR`

DISPENSING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 25. 1955 INVENTOR Arlil-UJI' L. RCM-d( i 11,111'. i

ATTORNEYS' May 20, 1958 A. l.. RANKIN, JR

DISPENSING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 25, 1955 Arbhur L.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O DllSPENSlNG APPARATUS Arthur L. Rankin,Jr., Chattanooga, Tenn., assignorr to Cavalier Corporation, Chattanooga,Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application July 25, 1955, Serial No.523,958

9 Claims. (Cl. 221--67) This invention relates to dispensing apparatusVfor use in automatic vending machines particularly adapted to dispensesubstantially cylindrical articles such as beverage bottles one at atime and in sequence from stacks of articles arranged in overlappingstaggered relationship.

Even more particularly this invention relates to dispensing apparatusfor use in vending machines which include an insulated enclosurecontaining a series of vertically disposed adjacent chambers, eachchamber of which hasoppositely disposed parallel walls spaced apart adistance such that the articles to be vended are stored in interlockingrelationship with their longitudinal axeshorizontal. Two, three, or morestacks of articles to be vended are disposed in these chambers inoverlapping staggered relationship, and the dispensing apparatusincludes a support member positioned beneath each stack to individuallymove beneath the stack to release therefrom the lowermost article to bedispensed, the articles being dispensed insequence from successivestacks. A cam shaft is rotated in progressive sequential steps torelease the supports in sequence and the cam shaft returns thepreviously released support to supporting position before the nextarticle is dispensed.

More particularly still this invention relates to a novel constructionand operationv of the support members positioned beneath each stack ofarticles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel dispensingapparatus for vending machines ofl the type described of relativelysimple construction whichischeap to` manufacture and inexpensive tomaintain.

Another object is to provide such dispensing apparatus in which thesupport member is arranged axially under the cylindrical article to bedispensed and is mounted on a pivot at one end thereof, the supportmember being actuatedby a rotating cam through the medium of pivotedlegs one of which is engaged by the cam.

Another object of the present invention is to provide dispensingapparatus for cylindrical objects in which the support member has anauxiliary support pivoted theretoA forsupporting .the middle stack ofarticles in a1 three stack. dispenser so that all of the support membersmay beV pivoted on the same pivot and to reduce the. drop of the stacksof articles arranged in overlapped staggered relationship.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide noveldispensing apparatus of the type de` scribed when the articles to bevended are arranged intwo stacks in overlapping staggered relationship.

Other and further objects of the present invention will: appear from thefollowing description of an illustrative embodiment of the same.

The dispensing apparatus of the present inventioniscapable: of variousmechanical embodiments two of which are shown in the accompanyingdrawings and arel described hereinafter to illustrate the invention.These illustrative embodiments of the present invention should in no waybe construed as defining or limiting the same Patented May, 20 1958 riceand reference should be had to the appended claims to determine thescope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference charactersindicate like parts, Fig. l is a front View of an embodiment ofdispensing apparatus in accordance with the present invention with aportion of the frontwall thereof broken away to show the interiorconstruction;

Fig. 2 is a View from the rear of the embodiment of Fig. l showing thecam arrangement and cam drive mechanism;

Fig. 3 is aview, partially in section, on the line A-A of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a view partially in section on the line B-B of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5. is a frontview of another embodiment of the the presentinvention as seen from the front for dispensing cylindrical articlesarranged in overlapping staggered relationship in two stacks; and

Fig. 6 is a-diagrammatic circuit arrangement of an electric circuitsuitable for energizing an electric motor driving the cam shaft of thedispensing apparatus of Figs.n 1 4 and of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. L4 it willbe seen that theembodiment of the present invention there illustrated provides for thesequential dispensing of` cylindrical'articles arranged in overlappingstaggered relationship in three stacks, a support being provided beneatheach stack, the supports being rotated to article dispensing positionsequentially by cams mounted on acommon cam shaft with one cam providedfor each support. As will be evidenced. from the showing of the articlesin dotted lines, and as described hereinafter, the lowermost articles inthe two outside stacks can be dispensed While the remaining articles inthese stacks and the center stack as well are held solely by support ofthe lowerrnost article ofthe center stack. Thereafter, when the articleat the bottom of the center stack is dispensed, allthree, stacks movedownwardly together until the outside stacksv are supported. at theirbottoms and in turn support allof the central stack. except for itslowermost article.

This dispensing apparatus includes spaced. parallel side plates 10 and11 which are secured in spaced. parallel relationship'by bottom 12; towhich` they are` suitably se.- cured and a front plate 13 which isapertured at14to provide an opening through which the cylindricalarticles are dispensed. Walls 10 and 11 are spaced apart a distancedetermined by the diameter of the cylindrical articles to be dispensedand this distance is such that these articles are stored'with theirlongitudinal axes. horizontal in overlapping staggered and interlockingrelationship. This distance may be determined to provide storage for themaximum number of cylindrical articles and at the same time providev theover-lapping'staggered relationship so that the three stacks of articlesmay be supported only by thesupport for theV middle stack after articlesfrom' the left and right stack, as seen in Fig. l, have been dispensed.

Ay partial back 15 is also provided and vertical guide plates 16 and 17are secured thereto to guide articles sucht as: thel usual soft drinkbottles which have necks of reducedy diameter arranged adjacent back 15to dis pense thebottlesfbottom first.

A shaft 18 is mounted in walls 1lil and 11 and adjacent rear wall 15.Support members 19, 2t)v and Zliare mounted for rotation on shaft 18 andextend fromshaft 18 towa-rdifront 13, one beneath each stack of articlesto be dispensed and extending substantially the full length of thecylindrical articles supported. Support members 19, 20 and 21 includechannel shaped pieces 22,23y and 24, respectively, shaft 18 passingthrough both downturned portions of each such channel member. Anextension' plate 25 is suitably secured to member 22, to provideadditional support for the base of the article to be dispensed andextension is provided with an upturned guide flange 26. Channel member24 is provided with a similar extension 27 which has upturned guide 28.Guides 26 and 28 prevent lateral displacement of the cylindricalarticles during dispensing.

Support member 2t) supporting the middle stack of cylindrical articlesand its channel shaped member 23, as described above, also include anextension member 29, but instead of being secured rigidly to the channelmember as in the case of supports 19 and Z1, extension 29 is spaced fromchannel member 23 by means of cradle 30 which is pivoted to support 20on rod 31. Cradle 30 rotates clockwise about rod 31 during dispensing ofthe middle stack of alticles to hold extension 29 in a horizontalposition, while all three stacks of articles move down as hereinafterdescribed until supports 19 and 21 for the outside stacks of articlescome into supporting relationship with their respective stacks andcradle 30 then rotates in a counterclockwise directionlFig. 4) aboutpivot 31 until stop 32 engages the surface of channel member 23 to bringthe cylindrical article on support 29 in dispensing position. Support 29is provided with upstanding guide extensions 33 and 34 to preventlateral displacement of the cylindrical arti-cle during dispensing.

When bottles are to be dispensed neck supports 35 may be provided onsupports 19 and 21 adjacent shaft 18.

Each of supports 19, 20 and 21 is actuated by a pivoted lever and camarrangement which will be described in detail 'for support 19, as seenin Fig. 3. A channel shaped leg 36 is mounted for rotation on shaft 37which eytends between the downturned sides of channel member 22 said leghaving a rear wall 38. A second, and longer, channel shaped leg 39pivots in leg 36 on rod 40 and rotates at its lower extremity about rod41. Rod 41 extends between side walls 10 and 11 and mounts the other twolegs corresponding to leg 39. Wall 38 of leg 36 is so disposed as toengage the adjacent edges of leg 39 to prevent pivot points 37, 40 and41 from falling in the same straight line. A cam follower 42 is mountedfor rotation on shaft 43 which is mounted in the side walls of leg 39.

Cam shaft 44 is mounted ffor rotation in side walls 10 and 11 beneathshaft 18 and behind cam followers 42. Cam shaft 44 is rotated by wormgear 45 suitably secured at one end thereof. Worm gear 45 is driven byany suitable worm and gear, not shown, which in turn is driven by anelectric motor which will be referred to in connection with Fig. 6. Cams46, 47 and 48 are mounted on ca-m shaft 44 for rotation therewith, cam46 engaging cam follower 42 to actuate support 19, cam 47 actuatingsupport 20, and cam 48 actuating support 21. Since supports 19, 20 and21 are to be actuated in the sequence support 19, support 21 and support20 the low points in the cams may be arranged 120 apart. In theembodiment of the present invention Ihere disclosed, however, each camis provided with two low portions and the low portions of the successivecams must therefore be arranged with displacement to provide thesuccessive operation of supports 19, 21 and 20, as described above. Cam46 is provided with diametrically opposed low points 46a and 46b.

It will now be seen that upon rotation of cam shaft 44 in a clockwisedirection as seen in Fig. 3 cam follower 42 will enter low point 46a andleg 39 will rotate in a clockwise direction about rod 41. Leg 36 willthen rotate in a eounterclockwise direction about pivot 40 permittingsupport member 19 to rotate'in a counterclockwise direction about shaft18 so that the cylindrical article carried by support 19 and itsextension 25 is brought to an inclined position from which it will slideby gravity olf of support 19 and its extension 25 and outwardly throughthe dispensing opening 14. The next cylindrical article immediatelyabove the cylindrical article being dispensed will not be dispensedsince it is in overlapping 4 staggered relationship with the cylindricalarticles carried by supports 20 and 21.

When the dispenser is again actuated cam shaft 44 will be rotated in aclockwise direction and cam follower 42 will leave low point 46arotating leg 39 in a counterclockwise direction which in turn rotatesleg 36 in a clockwise direction about pivot 49 and support 19 isreturned to its horizontal position. This rotation of cam shaft 44brings the low point of cam 48 into position corresponding to that ofthe low point 46a in Fig. 3 and further rotation permits support 21 torotate into dispensing position and to dispense the cylindrical articlewhich it carries. No other cylindrical articles are dispensed at thistime since the stacks of cylindrical articles are in overlappingstaggered relationship supported by the cylindrical article carried byextension 29 of support 20.

When the dispensing apparatus is again actuated cam shaft 44 is rotatedand support 21 is raised to its horizontal position. Meanwhile a lowpoint of cam 47 moves into position to permit support 20 to rotate in acounterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. 4 to lower the cylindricalarticle carried by support extension 29 and then to rotate it intodispensing position. At this time all of the cylindrical articles in theapparatus are carried by support 20 and its extension 29 and all threestacks must move downwardly until the cylindrical articles in theoutside stacks come into engagement with supports 19 and 21. Thisdownward movement should be gradual and easy. The cylindrical articlecarried by extension 29 should therefor remain with its axis in ahorizontal position until supports 19 and 21 take the weight of thecylindrical articles in the dispenser. Itis for this reason thatextension 29 is pivoted at 31 so that the cylindrical article which itcarries will remain horizontal during the downward movement of thestacks of articles. Cam 47 is provided with a gradual approach 49 to thelow point 50 so that rotation of support 20 will be gradual and easy.

When the dispensing apparatus is next actuated cam shaft 44 is rotatedin a clockwise direction, cam 47 rotates support member 20 intohorizontal position and extension 29 engages the lowest cylindricalarticle in the middle stack, and cam 46 moves its low point 46b intoposition to permit support 19 to move into dispensing position again.Thereafter the dispensing sequence is repeated as above described.

As will now be apparent, cam shaft 44 is rotated in a step wise mannerone step for each actuation of the apparatus so that only onecylindrical article is dispensed at a time. For this purpose the motordriving worm gear 45 is energized through an electric circuit which mustbe de-energized when one of the supports 19, 20 or 21 moves todispensing position. A suitable cam 51 is therefore mounted on cam shaft44 and operates timer switch 52 to open the motor circuit as soon as thepredetermined degree of rotation of shaft 44 has been accomplished. Inthe embodiment as described above for dispensing a single cylindricalarticle for each 60 rotation of cam shaft 44, cam 51 is provided withsix equally spaced high points around its circumference so that timerswitch 52 will be opened briely for each dispensing operation as will beapparent from consideration of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 diagrams a suitable circuit for use with this embodiment of thedispensing apparatus and includes a suitable source of electrical energy53 one side of which is connected by wire 54 to a suitable coin actuatedswitch 55. One pole 55' ofswitch 55 is connected by wire 56 to one sideof coil 57 of relay 58. The other side of coil 57 is connected by wire59 to the other side of source 53. The other contact 60 of coin switch55 is connected by wire 61 to one side 62 of a suitable switch 62', theother side 63 of the switch 62 being connected by wire 64 to a suitablemotor 65 which in turn is connected at 66 to wire 59. Relay 58 isprovided with a contact 67 connected to wire 56. Contact arm 68 of relay58 is linturn is.connected by wire 82 toawire 59.

aconnected by wire v69 toene side '.70 oftimer switch52. nThe othercontact 71 of timer switch 52.is n connected by Z'by Wire 78toaconventional coin reject magnet 79 and -|rnagnetl79 isconnected by.wire80 toport switch81 which Sold out switch 76 includes a contact 83which is connected by wire 84 to a sold out light 85 and the circuit iscompleted through wire 86 andwire 59.

When a coin is inserted in the coin switch S the movable arm thereofmomentarily engages contact 55 closing the circuit to relay 58.Energization of relay 58 moves contact 68 into engagement with contact67 and moves conatct 63 into engagement with contact 62. Since contact73 is normally in engagement with contact 70 current then flows throughwire 87, contacts 73 and 70, wire 69, and contacts 67 and 68 to continueto energize coil 57 after coin switch 55 returns to normal engagementwith contact 60. Current then ows through wire 54 to contact 60, wire61, contacts 62 and 63, and wire 64 to motor-65 to drive the same, themotor circuit being completed through wires 66 and 59'. Motor 65 rotatescam shaft 44 through the predetermined number of degrees until a highpoint on cam 51 changes timer switch 52 so that contact 73' engagescontact 71. This change at switch 52 breaks the circuit to relay 58 andrelay 58 and its contacts return to their normal positions as shown.Contact 73 continues to engage contact 71 to continue energization ofmotor 65 until the high point on cam 51 passes switch 52 permittingcontact 73 to return to engagement with contact 70 breaking the circuitto motor 65. This sequence of operations isfollowed for each articledispensed.

The circuit of Fig. 6 includes a sold out switch which is provided witha moving contact 75 which engages the stack of cylindrical articles inthe dispensing apparatus containing the last article to be dispensed.When this last article is dispensed contact 75 will -be shifted intoengagement with contact 83, the sold out light will be illuminated andthe reject magnet 79 will be deenergized so that coins entering the coinswitch will be returned and motor 65 cannot be energized.

The embodiment of the present invention of Fig. 5 provides fordispensing from two stacks of cylindrical articles arranged in paralleloverlapping staggered relationship. In this embodiment, however, duringeach dispensing operation all of the cylindrical articles must be moveddownwardly a distance of one half a diameter and it is thereforenecessary to provide each support 19 and 20 with a pivoted supportextension similar to extension 29 of Fig. 4. Cams 46' and 47 must alsobe appropriately arranged to provide a gradual entrance to the lowpoints thereon so that the cylindrical articles will be loweredgradually during dispensing of the supporting article and to shift thesupport from-one stack to the other in an easy and gradual manner. Withtwo low points on each of cams 46' and 47 four dispensing operationswill take place for each rotation .of cam shaft 44 and accordingly cam51 is provided with four equally spaced high points thereon forappropriate actuation of timer switch 52.

It will now be seen that by the present invention there has beenprovided novel dispensing apparatus which in every way satises theseveral objects discussed above.

Changes to and modications of the illustrative embodiments describedabove may now be suggested to those skilled in the art withoutdepartingfrom the present inventive concept. Reference should therefore be had tothe appended claims to determine the scope of this invention.

6 What is claimed is: l. In dispensingapparatusfor-substantiallycylindrica `objects, means 'laterallysuppcrting -a-plurailtyy of said-objects arranged in at least twovertical stacksin interlock- .ing relationshipvwith their longitudinalaxes substantially horizontal, a support beneatheachstacksextendinggparallel to'the axis of the objects, `meansrotatably-mountling said supports adjacent one end thereofand adjacent-an'end of the objects, alegpivotedto each `ofisaid .supports, a secondleg pivoted to eachfof saidfrst named `legs .and mounted on a xed 1pivotat its oppositeend,

cam engaging means on each of said second legs, a cam shaft, a cam onsaid cam shaft engagingeach of said cam engaging means rotating theadjacent of said second legs about its xed pivot, said second legrotating the adjacent of said rst legs and the adjacent support, saidcams being constructed and arranged to rotate said supports downwardlyin sequence to dispense the objects in sequence from the stacks ofobjects.

2. In dispensing apparatus as described in claim l having three verticalstacks of substantially cylindrical objects in interlockingrelationship, a support extension pivoted to and extending above themiddle one of said supports. v

3. In dispensing apparatus as described in claim l having two verticalstacks of substantially cylindrical objects in interlockingrelationship, a support extension extending axially of the supportedobjects pivoted to and lextending above each of said supports forlimited rotation with respect thereto.

4. In dispensing apparatus, a housing, a dispensing port in saidhousing, substantially cylindrical objects in substantially horizontalposition in at least two vertical interlocking stacks in said housingabove said port, means laterally supporting said stacks in interlockingrelationship, a pivot member extending across said housing adjacent theend of said objects away from said port, a support rotatably mounted onsaid lpivot member extending axially beneath each of the stacks, a legpivoted to each of said supports, a second leg pivoted to each of saidrst legs and mounted at its other end on a pivot extending across saidhousing, a cam shaft extending across said housing adjacent said secondlegs, a cam on said cam shaft engaging each of said second legs torotate the respective one of said supports about said pivot member intodispensing positionadjacent said port and to return the support tosupporting position, said cams being constructed and arranged to rotatesaid supports into dispensing position in sequence to dispense theobjects in sequence from the stacks of objects.

5. In dispensing apparatus as described in claim 4 having three stacksof objects, a support extension pivoted to and extending above themiddle one of said supports.

6. In dispensing apparatus as described in claim 4 having two verticalstacks of objects, a support extension extending axially of the objectspivoted to and extending above each of said supports for limitedrotation with respect thereto.

7. Dispensing apparatus for substantially cylindrical objects stackedabove and supported by one another with their axes substantiallyhorizontal, comprising means laterally supporting at least two stacks ininterlocking relationship, a plurality of dispensing supports onebeneath each stack, said supports being pivoted on axes transverse tothe axes of said articles and underlying said stacks adjacent one endthereof, and means for tilting said supports sequentially about saidtransverse axes to downwardly inclined positions for dispensing thelowermost articles from the stacks above the tilted supports, at leastone of said supports comprising two members pivotally connectedtogether, one of said members being pivoted on said transverse axis andoperated by said tilting means, the second member being astack-supporting member pivoted on said first member and free to assumeand article thereafter supported by sad second member causing it topivot on said rst member to an inclined dispensing position as saidfirst member completes its tilting movement to dispensing position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,289,972 Valerius et al. Dec. 31, 1918 1,944,499 Crimp Aug. 30, 19302,719,651 Gabrielsen Oct. 4, 1955

